THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When the people world over are working really hard to perfect their skills in yoga, this three-year-old kid is proving it to be a child’s play. Meet Ameya Rajendran, a pre-schooler who has already mastered the art of yoga, its different ‘asanas’ and ‘pranayamas’.
Ameya is an expert at performing some of the difficult asanas like ‘halasana’, ‘chakrasana’, ‘vipareeta karani mudra’, ‘poorna bhujangasana’, ‘upavishta konasana’, ‘pachimottonasana’ among many.
It won’t be a surprise to note that practicing yoga runs in her blood. The daughter of S Rajendran and R Nithya, Ameya has grown up watching her parents and grandparents doing yoga. Her father who is a yoga teacher at Sreeyogadarshan Yoga Centre at Ramanakrishna Math, Vyttila, says, “As we live in a traditional joint family, she was exposed to this art. Her grandparents also practice yoga. But we never forced her to learn yoga, as giving such a strenous physical training for someone so young was not appropriate. It is also feared that it would inhibit the children’s ability to be creative or imaginative.”
“Eventhough, one should not force children to learn yoga, it is beneficial if children show an interest as it has enormous benefits including improving calmness, concentration, memory, coordination, flexibility and strength,” adds Rajendran.
However little Ameya sat and observed the classes her father took and soon started showing interest for the art. “She used to come and sit with us while we taught the students. Out of her own interest, she started to do yoga. She is a quick learner too,” adds Rajendran. Her first yoga demonstration on stage was held as part of the World Yoga Day on June 21.
“The movements taught in yoga are very much similar to the postures a baby does during the growing up years. From the moment a baby begins to rollover to holding its head high to lying on a straight position on the stomach, all are yoga postures,” he says.
Ameya’s father along with his elder brothers S Srikanth and S Ayappan run the Sreeyogadarshan Yoga Centre.